A court released a woman detained for five months after she reported her coworkers had assaulted her for not wearing a hijab.Īn academic writing for a human rights nonprofit organization said nonbelieving Coptic prisoners in the country felt compelled to attend meetings with religious counselors, lest their absence imply atheism, making them “more vulnerable to violence by jailers and prisoners.” In May, the government approved the full reopening of mosques and shrines, lifting most remaining COVID-19 restrictions, although it maintained the 10-minute limit on Friday sermons and reportedly continued to limit some Sufi celebrations, citing COVID-19 concerns. The Ministry of Interior pardoned five police officers convicted of torturing a Coptic man to death in 2016 after they had served one year of a three-year sentence. Authorities released Coptic researcher and activist Ramy Kamel, detained since 2019 for blasphemy, and Quranist Reda Abdel Rahman, detained since 2020 on charges including membership in ISIS. Human rights groups called the religious defamation laws vague, overly broad, and a threat to freedom of expression and called for their repeal. The government summoned, tried, and sentenced several individuals, including Muslim, Christian, and atheist authors, social media content creators, and private citizens, for actions deemed offensive to Islam or Christianity. In June, a Cairo court sentenced Salafi preacher Mahmoud Shaaban to 15 years in prison for “inciting violence, opposing the state, and joining a terrorist group.” Shaaban accused authorities of denying him medical treatment while he was incarcerated. In September, a court in Tora sentenced a man to 14 years in prison for the 2013 mob killing of a Shia scholar and three of his followers. “Disdaining and disrespecting” the three Abrahamic religions and supporting “extremist” ideologies are crimes. The government officially recognizes Sunni Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, and allows only their adherents to publicly practice their religion and build houses of worship. The constitution specifies Islam as the state religion and the principles of sharia as the main source of legislation but stipulates the canonical laws of Jews and Christians form the basis of legislation governing their personal status, religious affairs, and selection of spiritual leaders. The constitution states that “freedom of belief is absolute” and “the freedom of practicing religious rituals and establishing worship places for the followers of divine religions is a right regulated by law.” The constitution states citizens “are equal before the law” and criminalizes discrimination and “incitement to hatred” based upon religion.
0 kommentar(er)
